The Youth of Shizume
by kaori kuni
Summary: 4: Munakata, Soldiers.
1. Chapter 1

The Youth of Shizume

(Stylist)

...

Vrooo-

"Could you hurry up? It is not like I want to be sitting here all day long, you know" Misaki lowered his head and stared at the floor with a frown.

-ooom.

Annoyed, Saruhiko put two fingers on Misaki's chin and lifted his face back "What's up, little Misaki-chan can't stay still?" he singsonged in mock as his hand moved back to roam through Misaki's scalp.

"Tch, shut up monkey! You are the one that takes ages to do this shit..." Saruhiko unsuccessfully tried to keep the boy's head still, but Misaki kept moving and turned to face him, "...I don't even know why you want to do this. You know what? I'm done, see—"

But just as Misaki was going to stand, Saruhiko's hand gripped his hair and yanked him down. "You are going to stay there until I am finished. Now, still, and shut up" his patience was running thin and it leaked in his voice, his tone that of an ultimatum.

"Ow! Why did you, damn it, if you think—" Misaki tried to reach the hand grasping his hair but Saruhiko was faster.

In the blink of an eye he could feel the warmth of someone's breath on his collarbone, accompanied by that husky voice of his "Now, like I said, you are going to shut up and not move an inch, my little crow"

That voice that promised so many things, that _dared_ him to test its owner's patience, it was truly a formidable weapon. But it was his bare collarbone graced by the warmth of Saruhiko's breathing that made him shudder, open his eyes wide.

For a second, the sensation overwhelmed him and that voice, one that hid pain with curtains of pleasure, that hand still grasped his hair, was all he knew. His heart started to race, he couldn't explain why, and then he closed his eyes tightly, a slight tremble taking over his body for a second.

A feeling that remained with him until long after he'd left Saruhiko's company.

Vrooo-

...

ps: Did using their first names make it more intimate? It almost turned into something more sexy.


	2. Chapter 2

The Youth of Shizume

(Storehouse)

"_Their memories will always connect them,_

_more than a smudged mark could ever do."_

...

"Eh monkey, remember that time?" he asked while shifting position, the hard wood of the window frame made him stiff after a while. His companion let out a sigh and responded, mirthful,

"If you're talking about the time I threw you off the docks, yeah, and it was fun as h—" He was interrupted by the thud of a fist hitting wood, "Shut up dip shit! Argh, you are an ass."

It was a quiet, warm night. Misaki, sitting on the window sill and facing outside, turned to his companion after a couple of minutes of silence. Solemn, he started, "You know, that time the guys got side-tracked and it was us—"

"Against those masked dealer-wannabes in storehouse twenty one, yeah."

Misaki's grip on the frame loosened, "It was pretty wild, eh? But man those suckers wouldn't stop bragging, well, until I beat the shit out of them, haha." At this, Saruhiko got up from the bed and walked to the window. The room was dark, he could only see Misaki's body outlined by the street lights.

"But not before I saved your ass from the one that almost chopped off your arm." He leaned on the empty half of the window sill, his eyes focused on the barely visible stars above, "It was… not boring. They were enough to keep me entertained for a short while."

The bright lights of Shizume made it difficult to star-gaze, but most people preferred to look at the projected ads and entertainment rather than the stars anyway. And it was something the young ones were used to, something that's always been that way for them.

Shizume replaced natural beauty for man-made, beauty was modified.

"Gah. I was totally fine, you are just a show off." Misaki looked back at the sky and, as if on cue, the prussian blue explosion of a peony firework took over the sky above the docks. A royal blue swirl followed short after. "I was good. To think such a lame group could have so many losers in it. And then —haha, you— ha, you were so out of breath by the time we knocked out the last one that I thought you would pass out right there, ha."

Saruhiko, annoyed, could do nothing but stare at the green and yellow fireworks covering the sky as Misaki laughed to his heart's content. Hand on his stomach, the teen doubled over, eyes ocasionally drifting to his companion's.

"…"

"And when we got out of there…" Misaki whispered, a scarcely audible murmur that Saruhiko knew so well. Eyes glued to the sky, Misaki's whole body showing anticipation.

"Yeah. It was…grandiose, exciting, it was us."

Misaki remained on the window sill of his room as Saruhiko, miles away, went to lay back on his bed.

The barest remnants of explosion sounds reached them, as kamuros, crossettes, rings and many more covered the sky in red gloriousness. Scarlet, dark and bright red, the sky spoke of a plethora of red pyrotechnics welcoming two triumphant boys into the night a year before.

...

ps: a ghost that remains with each other.


	3. Chapter 3

The Youth of Shizume

(Scar)

_He needs a fire to melt the pieces back together._

...

He was sitting, cross-legged, on the coach. It was one of the spare rooms, the one with the video games and a dusted canvas in a corner. In front of him, that old 80's television displayed Kousuke's attempts first-person-shooting games.

BANG.

Until the screen was overwhelmed by red, splatters and angry scratches, and Kousuke 's shoulders sagged in defeat. He wasn't interested in games; he'd usually stand by the door and watch the boys take turns to play. He was silent, between the noise from the games and the players' screams, nobody noticed those times when Eric would leave his post to go downstairs.

A glass, a piece of cloth. A smirk and occasionally a one-sided small talk from the bartender. Eric was careful, never once dropping the items given to him. Concentrated, stroke after stroke after stroke...

He felt the pressure of a hand on his shoulder.

He turned to his left, Kousuke's eyes the first thing he saw. Seconds passed and the game kept calling for a player, with a start Eric gazed down to find a joystick being offered to him, and a scar on the hand holding it.

Kousuke smiles as Eric takes the controller, only to frown in confusion when the boy leaves it in the couch. But then his hand is grabbed and he stops thinking for a second, as he feels his palm connect with Eric's cheek. Eyes staring downwards, Eric mutters apology after apology, the words barely reaching Kousuke's ears. He starts when Kousuke rests his other hand on his head, and no sound escapes his lips.

Kosuke sighs. Eric lowers his head and his eyes open in surprise when he feels his hair being ruffled. The hands holding Kousuke's tremble a bit.

He's over-thinking again, because he didn't feel the hand leaving his head nor hear the plastic as Kousuke reached inside his pocket and presented Eric with a little red candy. Surprised, Eric let's go of Kousuke's hand and looks up at him, his mouth slightly open with unasked questions. It is not until Kousuke nods that Eric picks up the sweet, but it takes another for him to unwrap it and put it on his mouth, Kousuke's eyes never leaving his.

While Eric smiles uncertainly, Kousuke gives him the one that was always meant to be for him. The one no other can elicit, the one that keeps Eric away from memories of chains and limping in the dark, of blood scurrying down his legs and nobody to turn to.

And then Kousuke puts the controller in his hands, his arm on his shoulders and sits a bit closer, his gaze shifting towards the red-splattered screen.

_Because there was once a little boy that would sit on the ground, pressing buttons while concentrated in the game, his parents smiling from behind him. Blond locks falling to his face as he moved and whispered commands to the screen, trying to beat the game before it was time to go to bed. A little boy playing games bought with smuggling money and the best intentions, though his parents never intended for him to be left to fend for himself and fail miserably._


	4. Chapter 4

The Youth of Shizume

(Soldiers)

_One by one, your tiny soldier figures wear down. You've lost another one._

...

A message to all the Kings,

The new Red King has arrived. Cower in fear, one by one, flames will consume you all. There is no escape, I will find you. I will kill you, I will destroy you.

From now on, I am the rule, I am God. The slate has chosen and there is no greater sovereign than me, leave now or perish forever. No objections, my control is absolute.

This is an ultimatum: from now on there will only be red. No more colours, I'll make sure of it. Prepare to die.

Let this worthless blue candle serve as example: war has started, none will be spared. Be scared, I'll turn your nightmares into blazing red and you'll be swallowed in a King's inferno. Your swords will rust to red; any resistance will end as blood on the floor. Let this weak body be the proof: as I write your termination on your body, your voices will scream in raw crimson. This is the fate I've decided for you; I am the new Red King.

A message to all the Kings: I'm getting rid of you.

A new God has arisen.

...

They had to call Munakata to the site, for the flames wouldn't go out. The advance team disliked wasting their boss' time, the Lieutenant knew something was off when the fire neither expanded nor retreated, the King felt the power miles away.

But they weren't expecting a body to be hiding in the flames, the lower half consumed by them. And they knew right away, it was one of theirs. After a long moment of consideration, Munakata walked by Domyouji's corpse and read the message carved into the floor.

His left hand, in a tight fist, was the only reaction he made.

_..._

ps: feedback appreciated


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